>Three Programs for European Tour - April & May 2007
 | J.S. Bach |
1. Reflections on Time
Michael Arnowitt’s new program, recently performed in New York City at Hunter College, departs from the standard approach of sequencing the classical compositions of a program in chronological order. On the first half of “Reflections on Time”, the music begins with a piece written in the 1980’s, and then goes gradually backwards in time 400 years; the last selection on the first half was composed in the 1580’s. The second half of the program mirrors the first, reversing direction and proceeding forwards in time the same 400 years, ending with music written quite recently, in the 1980’s and 1990’s.
Altogether, the chronological progression of the two halves of the concert thereby makes a shape of a narrow V. There are many interesting inter-connections between the pieces on the program, ranging from the symmetry of the placement of Byrd, Brahms, and Debussy pieces on both halves of the program, to some more subtle relationships (see program notes written by Michael Arnowitt).
Program --
Toru Takemitsu* - Rain Tree Sketch
Claude Debussy - D’un cahier d’esquisses (From a sketchbook)
Johannes Brahms - Variations on a Theme of Haydn, op. 56
Domenico Scarlatti - Sonatas in D minor, K. 141, A major, K. 404, and F minor, K. 519
William Byrd - A Voluntarie for my ladye nevell
-- intermission --
William Byrd - Galliards no. 6 in C major, no. 1 in C minor, and no. 2 in G major
J.S. Bach - Partita no. 2 in C minor
Johannes Brahms - Intermezzo in B minor, op. 119 no. 1
Claude Debussy - Étude retrouvée (discovered 1977)
György Ligeti - Étude no. 4 - Fanfares
Étude no. 5 - Arc-en-ciel (Rainbow)
Étude no. 10 - Der Zauberlehrling (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice)
*The Takemitsu may be omitted.
 | Ludwig van Beethoven
|
2. (Traditional recital program)
W.A. Mozart - Sonata no. 15 in F major, K. 533
Claude Debussy - D’un cahier d’esquisses (From a sketchbook)
Claude Debussy - Étude retrouvée (discovered 1977)
Alberto Ginastera* - Sonata no. 1, op. 22 (1952)
-- intermission --
J.S. Bach - Partita no. 2 in C minor
Ludwig van Beethoven - Sonata no. 30 in E major, op. 109
*The Ginastera Sonata (16 minutes long) may be omitted. The performer would then play the optional repeats of certain sections of other pieces on the program which would compensate for some of the deleted length from the omission of the Ginastera.
 |
György Ligeti |
3. Ligeti And His Influences
(in honor of the recently deceased composer György Ligeti)
Domenico Scarlatti - Selected sonatas
Frédéric Chopin - Nocturne op. 55 no. 2 in E-flat major
Étude op. 25 no. 1 “Aeolian Harp”
Robert Schumann - Novellette, op. 21 no. 1
Claude Debussy - From Études for piano, Book 2: XI - Pour les arpèges composés
From Études for piano, Book 1: VI - Pour les huit doigts
Improvisation à la Bill Evans - on the jazz standard “Young and Foolish”
Improvisation à la Thelonius Monk - on his tune “Epistrophy”
Conlon Nancarrow - Canon B from Two Canons for Ursula (1988)
Robert Schumann - Toccata, op. 7
György Ligeti - Selected Études
From Études for piano, Book 1 (1985)
No. 2: Cordes vides (Open strings)
No. 3: Touches bloquées (Blocked keys)
No. 4: Fanfares
No. 5: Arc-en-ciel (Rainbow)
From Études for piano, Book 2 (1988-94)
No. 7: Galamb borong
No. 8: Fém (Metal)
No. 10: Der Zauberlehrling (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice)
For more information about “Ligeti And His Influences”, please click here.
